Print policy commands

ABSTRACT

Embodiments of converting or translating electronic data from a first format to a second format with an applied electronic data security policy in mechanisms are described generally herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Various embodiments described herein relate generally to electronicdocument translation or conversion, including apparatus, systems, andmethods used in electronic document translation or conversion.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

A user may employ a virtual print driver or computer program to requestformat conversion or translation of an electronic document. A user maywant to subsequently control distribution, derivations, or thegeneration of hard copy representations of the translated or convertedelectronic document.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a system diagram of an electronic document translation orconversion architecture according to various embodiments.

FIG. 2 illustrates a computer system in which an electronic documenttranslation or conversion application resides according to variousembodiments.

FIG. 3 illustrates a computer system in which a virtual print driverapplication resides according to various embodiments.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating several methods according tovarious embodiments.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating several methods according tovarious embodiments.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an article according to variousembodiments.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an article according to variousembodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a system diagram of an electronic document translation orconversion architecture 10 including a computer system 60, a serversystem 50, and a computer system 40 coupled to a network 30 (e.g., theInternet). The computer system 60 may be coupled to the server system 50via a network 30 (e.g., the Internet). The computer system 40 may becoupled to the server system 50 via the network 30. A viewing user 61may utilize the computer system 60 to view an application display 20.The computer system 60 may also host an electronic document translationor conversion application 66 where a viewing user 61 may effectivelyinvoke the application 66 or 58 via one or more icons or items 24, 28,32 to translate or convert an electronic version of the applicationdisplay 20 or application 68 data.

In an embodiment the icon or item 24 may be part of a menu entry 22 froman application menu 20. The icon or item 28 may be part of a pop up menu26 that may be invoked by the application 68 or the computer system 60operating system (OS) application 63, such as Linux®, Windows®, Vista®,or OS X®. The icon or item 32 may be an application 68 add-in that whenselected invokes a document translation or conversion and rightsmanagement security policy mapping application 66 or 58. In anembodiment an icon or item 24, 28, 32 selection may generate aelectronic document translation or conversion and security policymapping request that is forwarded to predetermined uniform resourcelocator (URL). The URL may designate the application 66 or 58 andinclude an indication of the requesting user 61 or computer system 60.

The document translation or conversion and rights management securitypolicy mapping application 66 may operate to convert or translate adocument image or data (such as data representing a document) from afirst format (e.g., the Microsoft Word format) into a second format(e.g., the XML Paper Specification (XPS) or format the Portable DocumentFormat (PDF)) with rights management security policy mapping. Theapplication 68 may create the display file 69 to enable a viewing user61 to process at least a segment of data whose image or conversion froma first format to a second format with rights management security policymapping may be created by the application 66 or 58 upon an icon or item24, 28, 32 selection. The application 68 may be a word processing, apresentation, a publication, a spreadsheet, or a related documentprocessing application.

Upon selection of an icon or item 24, 28, 32, the document translationor conversion and rights management security policy mapping application66 (hosted by the computer system 60) or 58 (hosted by server system 50)may be invoked (such as by a URL call). The document translation orconversion and rights management security policy mapping application 66may translate or convert an image of the display file 69, an image ofdata being processed by the application, or designated data from a firstformat into a second format and apply or map a selected rightsmanagement security policy. The application 66 may apply a rightsmanagement security policy as part of a document conversion process. Inan embodiment, the computer system 60 may host a document (e.g., PDFand/or XPS) rights management security policy and profile database 64and a document (e.g., PDF and/or XPS) rights management security policyand profile setup/maintenance application 62 where each profile maycorrespond to file conversion settings and mapping of one or more rightsmanagement security policies. The document rights management securitypolicy and profile database 64 may be used to store one or more documentrights management security policies, such as company confidential,restricted distribution, limited access, license expiration, or profilescorresponding to file conversion settings and mapping of one or morerights management security policies.

In an embodiment the viewing user 61 may be able to maintain rightsmanagement security policies or profiles in the policy and profiledatabase 64. The viewing user 44 may be able to maintain rightsmanagement security policies or profiles, via a policy maintenanceapplication 42, where the rights management security policies orprofiles are locally cached in the policy and profile database 64 by therights management security policy server application 54 and rightsmanagement security policy setup/maintenance application 62 (whererights management security policies for the viewing user 61 or generalusers may be stored in the rights management security policy table 56).In an embodiment, the viewing user 61 may be required to use a rightsmanagement security policy or profile stored in the rights managementsecurity policy database 64 or rights management security policy table56 when the document translation or conversion and rights managementsecurity policy mapping application 66 is invoked by icon or item 24,28, 32 selection (limited to specific policies or profiles includingspecific policies).

The rights management security policy setup application 62 may receiverights management security policies or updates to rights managementsecurity policies or profiles from the server system 50 via the network30, where specific rights management security policies may be locallycached by the rights management security policy and profile database 64.The server system 50 may host the rights management security policyserver application 54 and the rights management security policy andprofile database 52. The rights management security policy database 52may include the rights management security policy table 56 where thetable 56 may include general document processing rights managementsecurity policies or specific document processing rights managementsecurity policies for one or more users such as the viewing user 61. Thecomputer system 40 may host the rights management security policy andprofile maintenance application 42. The viewing user 44 may utilize therights management security policy and profile maintenance application 42to generate or maintain rights management security policies or profilesin the rights management security policy and profile database 52 via thenetwork 30.

The viewing user 44 may also utilize the rights management securitypolicy or profile maintenance application 42 to generate one or moredocument translation or conversion profiles where each profile may beassociated with file conversion settings and one or more rightsmanagement security policy mappings. The document translation orconversion and rights management security policy mapping application 66may enable or require a viewing user 61 to select a documenttranslation/security profile corresponding to one or more rightsmanagement security policies locally cached in the rights managementsecurity policy database 64 or stored in the rights management securitypolicy table 56 upon document (e.g., PDF and/or XPS) icon or item 24,28, 32 selection. In an embodiment the viewing user 61 may be presentedwith a translation/security profile selection display 80 shown in FIG. 2upon selection of an icon or item 24, 28, 32.

The portable document translation or conversion application 66 or 58 maycreate a translation/security profile selection file 72 to be shown onthe translation/security profile selection display 80. In an embodimentthe computer system 60 OS 63 or application 68 document generationplug-in may generate the translation/security profile selection display80. The document translation or conversion and rights managementsecurity policy mapping application 66 or 58 may retrievetranslation/security profiles where each profile may be associated withfile conversion settings and one or more rights management securitypolicy mappings stored in the rights management security policy database64 or the rights management security policy table 56 upon icon or item24, 28, 32 selection by a viewing user 61. The translation/securityprofiles presented to a viewing user 61 via the available profile window84 may be limited as a function of the viewing user 61, the computersystem 60, or the application 68. The document translation or conversionand rights management security policy mapping application 66 or 58 may,upon invocation determine the identity of the viewing user 61, theapplication 68 or computer system 60 that invoked it, and the connectionstatus (e.g., online, offline, secure, in-secure) of the computer system60.

As noted the electronic document (e.g., a PDF or XPS) translation orconversion and rights management security policy mapping application 58may be hosted by the server system 50. Upon icon or item 24, 28, 32selection the document translation or conversion and rights managementsecurity policy mapping application 58 may be invoked where the documenttranslation or conversion and rights management security policy mappingapplication 58 may receive data (such as a print stream via the network30) from the application 68 including data representing the applicationdisplay 20, a document whose image is to be recorded in an electronicimage document (e.g., a PDF document), or data to be converted from afirst format to a second format. The document translation or conversionand rights management security policy mapping application 58 may alsodetermine the rights management security policies available for theviewing user 61 based on the user 61, the requesting computer system 60,or the requesting application 68. As shown in FIG. 2, the availabletranslation/security profile list or window 84 may include a generic PDFprofile 92, one or more user specific document translation/securityprofiles 1 to Y (102 to 104) including PDF: Company Confidential (Local)profile 103, and general translation/security profiles 1 to X (112 to116) including PDF: Top Secret policy (Network) profile 114.

The viewing user 61 may then select a desired documenttranslation/security profile from the list 84. In an embodiment, eachdocument translation/security profile is related to at least one rightsmanagement security policy. The rights management security policies maydetermine various attributes to the mapped to the translated documentincluding security, ownership, modification and viewing control (abilityof a user to read or write the file), or license duration to view ormodify the document.

The document translation or conversion and rights management securitypolicy mapping application 66 or 58 may convert an image of theapplication 68 data including screen or display 20 or translate orconvert data provided by the application 68 from a first format to asecond format based on selected translation settings while applying theselected rights management security polic(ies).

In an embodiment, a viewing user 61 may be able to request translationor conversion of data from a first format to a second format (such asconverting an image of application data of a document processing orviewing application 164) and mapping of one or more rights managementsecurity policies via an application's 164 print function. As shown inFIG. 3, the computer system 60 OS 63 may be used to maintain electronicdocument translation/security profiles in the form of one or more printdrivers 162 (or other types of profiles). The rights management securitypolicy setup or maintenance application 62 or rights management securitypolicy server 50 via the OS 63 may maintain one or more virtual printdrivers where each driver representing an translation/security profilethat may be associated with document translation settings and one morerights management security policies.

The rights management security application 62, rights managementsecurity policy server 50, or rights management security policymaintenance application 42 via the OS 63 may generate a print driver foreach translation/securing profile or rights management security policyavailable to a viewing user 61, an application 68, or a computer system60 via the rights management security database 64 or the rightsmanagement security policy table 56. The rights management securitypolicy setup application 62, rights management security policy server50, or rights management security policy maintenance application 42 maycreate virtual translation/security profile or rights managementsecurity policy generation drivers upon document translation orconversion and rights management security policy mapping application 66installation or periodic, scheduled, or user 44 scheduled operation ofthe rights management security policy maintenance application 42 orrights management security policy server. In an embodiment upon documenttranslation or conversion and rights management security policyapplication 66 execution or OS 63 startup, the rights managementsecurity policy setup application 62, the rights management securitypolicy server, or rights management security policy maintenanceapplication 42 (via a URL request) may be invoked to update (add orremove) virtual translation/security profile and rights managementsecurity policy drivers in the print driver database 162.

The document processing or viewing application 164 may generate a printdocument dialog display 120 via a print dialog file 166. The printdocument dialog display 120 may include a print list or window 122. Theprint list or window 122 may include the available print drivers. Asshown in FIG. 3 in an embodiment the document translation/securityprofiles available to the viewing user 61 via the icon or item 24, 28,32, e.g., generic PDF profile 92, one or more user specific documenttranslation/security profiles 1 to Y (102 to 104) including PDF: CompanyConfidential (Local) profile 103, and general translation/securityprofiles 1 to X (112 to 116) including PDF: Top Secret policy (Network)profile 114 may also be available to a the viewing user 61 as virtualtranslation/security profile drivers, e.g., generic PDF profile 132, oneor more user specific document translation/security profiles 1 to Y (142to 144) including PDF: Company Confidential (Local) profile 143, andgeneral translation/security profiles 1 to X (152 to 156) including PDF:Top Secret policy (Network) profile 154.

The printer selection list 122 may also include other print selectionsfor printer driver associated with printers such as local printer A 124and network printer B 126. Upon a viewing user's 61 selection of avirtual translation/security profile driver (142, 144, 152, 154, 156),the application 164 via the OS 63 may forward data representing data tobe converted or translated and have one or more rights managementsecurity policies applied to the document translation or conversion andrights management security policy mapping application 66 or 58 alongwith indication of the selected driver, profile, translation settings,or selected rights management security policies (142, 144, 152, 154,156). In an embodiment the application 164 via the OS 63 may generate arequest indicating driver, profile, translation settings, or selectedrights management security policies and forward the request to theapplication 66 or 58 via a URL corresponding to the application 66 or58. The document translation or conversion application and rightsmanagement security policy mapping 66 or 58 may determine thetranslation settings and rights management security polic(ies) to beapplied during the data translation based on the received request. Theapplication 66 or 58 may receive the data to be translated/secured ormay generate a request to receive the data via a URL indicating the datato be converted location.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of an electronic document translate/securerequest method 170 according to various embodiments. In the method 170when a user (such as viewing user 61) selects a electronic documenttranslate/secure request via the icon or list 24, 28, 32 or print driver(activity 172), the method 170 may determine whether any documenttranslation/security profiles are available as a function of therequesting user 61, the application 68, or the computer system 60(activity 174). The method 150 may retrieve user, application, orcomputer system specific or independent translation/security profilesfrom the rights management security policy database 64 or rightsmanagement security policy table 56. The method 170 may create anavailable translation/security profile list (such as list 84 shown inFIG. 2) based on the retrieved translation/security profiles (activity176). The method 170 may then display the available translation/securityprofile list in a format perceptible to the requesting user (such asdisplay 80 in FIG. 2) (activity 178).

Upon user selection of a translation/security profile from the displayedlist (activity 182), the method 170 may create an electronic documenttranslate/secure request to be forwarded to an electronic documenttranslation or conversion and rights management security policy mappingapplication (such as application 66 or 58 in FIG. 1) (activity 184). Therequest may include an indication of the driver, profile, translationsettings, or selected rights management security policies, an indicationof the requesting user, application, or computer system, and a uniformresource locator (URL) for the requesting application (such asapplication 68 in FIG. 1) or data to be translated/secured. In anembodiment the request may be forwarded to a predetermined URL where theURL is related to the electronic document translation or conversion andrights management security policy mapping program (such a URLdesignating application 66 or 58). The application 66 or 58 URL may varyas a function of the translation/security profile selection. In anembodiment the URL selection may provide an indication of the driver,profile, translation settings, or selected rights management securitypolicies.

The method 170 may then forward data to be translated/secured to anelectronic document translation or conversion and rights managementsecurity policy mapping application 66 or 58 (activity 186). The datamay be forwarded to one or more URLs associated with application 66 or58 or specified by application 66 or 58 (either in advance or inresponse to the document translate/secure request). In an embodiment thedata to be translated/secured may be forwarded with the translate/securerequest. The request the may also include an URL related to the locationof the data to be translated/secured where the application 66 or 58 maysend a request for the data transmission via the URL.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of an electronic document translation orconversion and rights management security policy mapping method 190according to various embodiments. In the method 190 when an electronicdata translate/secure request is received (activity 192), the method 190may retrieve the translation settings and rights management securitypolic(ies) associated with a translation/security profile designated bythe request (activities 192, 194). The method 190 may retrieve thecorresponding translation settings and rights management securitypolic(ies) from the database 64 or table 56. In an embodiment therequest may include an indication of translation settings and rightsmanagement security polic(ies) to be applied. The electronic datatranslate/secure request may be received at a specific URL as a functionof the translation settings and rights management security polic(ies) tobe applied to a document or data. The request may also include the URLaddress of the data to be translated/secured. The method 190 may thengenerate a request to the specified URL address to receive the data tobe translated/converted/secured (activity 196). In an embodiment thedata may be streamed to the electronic document translation orconversion and rights management security policy mapping application 66or 58 along with the translate/secure request where the stream may be aprint stream (generated by a virtual print driver) or other data stream.

The method 190 may then translate and secure the received data based onthe translate/secure request (activity 198). The translated/secured datamay be stored at a location specified by a requesting user 61, a defaultlocation, or a location indicated by one or more applied rightsmanagement security policies. In an embodiment the translated/secureddata storage location may be indicated by one or more URL addresses. Inan embodiment an associated translation/security policy may designatemultiple users, applications, computer systems, or URLs to receive thetranslated/secured data (distribution list).

A device 260 is shown in FIG. 6 that may be used in various embodimentsas a computer system 60 or computer system 40 where the device may beany computing device including a personal data assistant, cellulartelephone, laptop computer, or desktop computer. The device 260 mayinclude a central processing unit (CPU) 262, a random access memory(RAM) 264, a read only memory (ROM″) 266, a display 268, a user inputdevice 272, a transceiver application specific integrated circuit (ASIC)274, a microphone 288, a speaker 282, and an antenna 284. The CPU 262may include an OS module 294 and an application module 292. The RAM 264may include a queue 278 where the queue 278 may store the documenttranslation/security policy database 64. The OS module 294 and theapplication module 292 may be separate elements. The OS module 294 mayexecute the computer system 60 OS 63. The application module 292 mayexecute the application 68, document translation or conversion andrights management security policy mapping application 66, rightsmanagement security policy setup application 62, document processing orviewing application 164, and rights management security policymaintenance application 42.

The ROM 266 is coupled to the CPU 262 and may store the programinstructions to be executed by the CPU 262, OS module 294, andapplication module 292. The RAM 264 is coupled to the CPU 262 and maystore temporary program data, overhead information, and the queues 278.The user input device 272 may comprise an input device such as a keypad,touch pad screen, track ball or other similar input device that allowsthe user to navigate through menus in order to operate the device 260.The display 268 may be an output device such as a CRT, LCD or othersimilar screen display that enables the user to read, view, or heardocuments or displays 20, 80, 120.

The microphone 288 and speaker 282 may be incorporated into the device260. The microphone 288 and speaker 282 may also be separated from thedevice 260. Received data may be transmitted to the CPU 262 via a serialbus 276 where the data may include messages or pages received, messagesor pages to be transmitted, or protocol information. The transceiverASIC 274 may include an instruction set necessary to communicate data,screens, or documents in architecture 10. The ASIC 274 may be coupled tothe antenna 284 to communicate wireless messages or pages within thearchitecture 10. When a message is received by the transceiver ASIC 274,its corresponding data may be transferred to the CPU 262 via the serialbus 276. The data can include wireless protocol, overhead information,and data to be processed by the device 260 in accordance with themethods described herein.

FIG. 7 illustrates a block diagram of a device 230 that may be employedas a server system 50 in various embodiments. The device 230 may includea CPU 232, a RAM 234, a ROM 236, a storage unit 238, a modem/transceiver244, and an antenna 246. The CPU 232 may include a document generationpolicy server module 254 and an application module 252. In anembodiment, the application module 252 may execute the documenttranslation or conversion application 66 or policy setup application 62.The RAM 234 may include a policy database 248 where the database 248 maybe used to store the policy table 56. The storage 238 may also include adatabase 256 where the queue 256 may be used to store the policydatabase 56. The document generation policy server module 254 and anapplication module 252 may be separate elements.

The modem/transceiver 244 may couple, in a well-known manner, the device230 to the network 30 or POTS to enable communication in the network 10.In an embodiment, the modem/transceiver 244 may be a wireless modem orother communication device that may enable communication with thecomputer system 60 or the computer system 40. The ROM 236 may storeprogram instructions to be executed by the CPU 232, rights managementsecurity policy server module 254, or application module 252. The RAM234 may be used to store temporary program information, queues,databases, and overhead information. The storage device 238 may compriseany convenient form of data storage and may be used to store temporaryprogram information, queues, databases, and overhead information.

Any of the components previously described can be implemented in anumber of ways, including embodiments in software. Any of the componentspreviously described can be implemented in a number of ways, includingembodiments in software. Thus, the CPU 232, policy server module 254,application module 252, modem/transceiver 244, antenna 246, storage 238,RAM 234, ROM 236, database 248, database 256, CPU 262, OS module 292,application module 294, transceiver ASIC 274, antenna 284, microphone288, speaker 282, ROM 266, RAM 264, queue 278, user input 272, display268, computer system 60, computer system 40, and server system 50 mayall be characterized as “modules” herein.

The modules may include hardware circuitry, single or multi-processorcircuits, memory circuits, software program modules and objects,firmware, and combinations thereof, as desired by the architect of thearchitecture 10 and as appropriate for particular implementations ofvarious embodiments.

The apparatus and systems of various embodiments may be useful inapplications other than a sales architecture configuration. They are notintended to serve as a complete description of all the elements andfeatures of apparatus and systems that might make use of the structuresdescribed herein.

Applications that may include the novel apparatus and systems of variousembodiments include electronic circuitry used in high-speed computers,communication and signal processing circuitry, modems, single ormulti-processor modules, single or multiple embedded processors, dataswitches, and application-specific modules, including multilayer,multi-chip modules. Such apparatus and systems may further be includedas sub-components within a variety of electronic systems, such astelevisions, cellular telephones, personal computers (e.g., laptopcomputers, desktop computers, handheld computers, tablet computers,etc.), workstations, radios, video players, audio players (e.g., mp3players), vehicles, medical devices (e.g., heart monitor, blood pressuremonitor, etc.) and others. Some embodiments may include a number ofmethods.

It may be possible to execute the activities described herein in anorder other than the order described. Various activities described withrespect to the methods identified herein can be executed in repetitive,serial, or parallel fashion.

A software program may be launched from a computer-readable medium in acomputer-based system to execute functions defined in the softwareprogram. Various programming languages may be employed to createsoftware programs designed to implement and perform the methodsdisclosed herein. The programs may be structured in an object-orientatedformat using an object-oriented language such as Java or C++.Alternatively, the programs may be structured in a procedure-orientatedformat using a procedural language, such as assembly or C. The softwarecomponents may communicate using a number of mechanisms well known tothose skilled in the art, such as application program interfaces orinter-process communication techniques, including remote procedurecalls. The teachings of various embodiments are not limited to anyparticular programming language or environment.

The accompanying drawings that form a part hereof show, by way ofillustration and not of limitation, specific embodiments in which thesubject matter may be practiced. The embodiments illustrated aredescribed in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art topractice the teachings disclosed herein. Other embodiments may beutilized and derived therefrom, such that structural and logicalsubstitutions and changes may be made without departing from the scopeof this disclosure. This Detailed Description, therefore, is not to betaken in a limiting sense, and the scope of various embodiments isdefined only by the appended claims, along with the full range ofequivalents to which such claims are entitled.

Such embodiments of the inventive subject matter may be referred toherein individually or collectively by the term “invention” merely forconvenience and without intending to voluntarily limit the scope of thisapplication to any single invention or inventive concept, if more thanone is in fact disclosed. Thus, although specific embodiments have beenillustrated and described herein, any arrangement calculated to achievethe same purpose may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown.This disclosure is intended to cover any and all adaptations orvariations of various embodiments. Combinations of the aboveembodiments, and other embodiments not specifically described herein,will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the abovedescription.

The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to comply with 37 C.F.R.§1.72(b), requiring an abstract that will allow the reader to quicklyascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted withthe understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit thescope or meaning of the claims. In the foregoing Detailed Description,various features are grouped together in a single embodiment for thepurpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is notto be interpreted to require more features than are expressly recited ineach claim. Rather, inventive subject matter may be found in less thanall features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus the following claimsare hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claimstanding on its own as a separate embodiment.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system including: a first application module,implemented by one or more processors, to enable a first user, from auser interface in a first application, to invoke a conversion profile onelectronic data having a first format, the conversion profile beingselected from a plurality of conversion profiles, the conversion profileincluding conversion settings and incorporating a security policy; asecond application module to invoke the conversion profile, the invokingof the conversion profile including automatically converting ortranslating the electronic data into electronic data having a secondformat and being accessible using a second application and automaticallysecuring the electronic data having the second format according to thesecurity policy, the electronic data having the first format notaccessible using the second application and the electronic data havingthe second format not accessible using the first application; and athird application module to receive an updated security policy from asecurity policy server and to modify the selected conversion profile toincorporate the updated security policy, the updated security policybeing a modified version of the security policy.
 2. The system of claim1, further including a fourth application module to enable the firstuser to one of generate and modify the conversion profile.
 3. The systemof claim 1, further including a fifth application module to enable asecond user to one of generate and modify the conversion profile.
 4. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the conversion profile is a virtual printerdriver.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the second format is aportable document file (pdf) format.
 6. The system of claim 1, whereinthe data provided by the first application module includes a printstream.
 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic data having thesecond format and the security policy are stored separately from theelectronic data having the first format and wherein the security policyis accessible by a second user without invoking the first application.8. The system of claim 1, wherein at least two or more of the firstapplication module, second application module, and third applicationmodule are combined into one module.
 9. A method, comprising: providing,within a first application, executed by one or more processors, a userinterface; enabling a first user to invoke a conversion profile onelectronic data having a first format through the user interface, theconversion profile being selected from a plurality of conversionprofiles, the conversion profile including conversion settings andincorporating a security policy, receiving an updated security policyfrom a security policy server, the updated security policy being amodified version of the security policy; modifying the selectedconversion profile to incorporate the updated security policy; andapplying the invoked conversion profile to electronic data having afirst format accessible using the first application, the applying theinvoked conversion profile including: automatically converting ortranslating the electronic data into electronic data having a secondformat and being accessible using a second application; andautomatically securing the electronic data having the second formataccording to the security policy; wherein the electronic data having thefirst format not accessible using the second application and theelectronic data having the second format not accessible using the firstapplication.
 10. The method of claim 9, further comprising one ofgenerating and modifying, within a third application, one of a pluralityof conversion profiles.
 11. The method of claim 9, wherein theconversion profile is a virtual printer driver.
 12. The method of claim9, wherein the electronic data represents a page descriptor languagefile.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the page descriptor languagefile is a portable document file.